RADiCAIT, an Oxford University spinout, has emerged from stealth this month, announcing $1.7 million in pre-seed financing. The Boston-based startup is developing an artificial intelligence platform designed to convert readily available Computed Tomography (CT) scans into images functionally similar to Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans, potentially broadening access to advanced diagnostic imaging. The company simultaneously launched a $5 million seed funding round to support forthcoming clinical trials.
Traditional PET scans are constrained by logistical challenges, including patient preparation, the injection of radioactive material, and limited geographical availability due to the need for nearby cyclotron facilities. Sean Walsh, RADiCAIT's CEO, stated that the company "took the most constrained, complex, and costly medical imaging solution in radiology, and we supplanted it with what is the most accessible, simple and affordable, which is CT." This approach seeks to mitigate issues of cost and access, particularly in rural and regional areas.
The core of RADiCAIT's technology is a generative deep neural network, developed in 2021 at the University of Oxford by a team led by Regent Lee, the startup's co-founder and Chief Medical Information Officer. This model learns by comparing CT and PET scans to identify patterns and map anatomical structures to physiological functions. Sina Shahandeh, RADiCAIT's chief technologist, described this process as connecting "distinct physical phenomena." Walsh asserts that trials indicate their AI-generated PET images are "statistically similar" to chemical PET scans, facilitating the "same quality of decision" for clinicians.
RADiCAIT is focusing its technology on diagnostic, staging, and monitoring applications, rather than therapeutic settings like radioligand therapy. The company has initiated clinical pilots for lung cancer testing with major health systems, including Mass General Brigham and UCSF Health. The ongoing $5 million funding round is intended to support an FDA clinical trial, a prerequisite for future commercial pilots. RADiCAIT also plans to extend its research and development to colorectal and lymphoma use cases, with Shahandeh noting the approach's "broad applicability" across radiology and other scientific domains where "nature's hidden relationships can be learned." The company was also named a Top 20 finalist in Startup Battlefield at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025.
